Searching for the optimal drought index and timescale combination to detect drought: a case study from the lower Jinsha River basin, China

In China, droughts represent a severe threat to socioeconomic development and ecosystems. It is thus necessary to characterize these events in order to reduce and anticipate their impacts. This study proposes an innovative approach for a catchment-wide drought detection and characterization. Two overall drought indicators have been defined and calibrated with real historical events, which have been collected and cataloged.